Hyundai Genesis: Road test review: A genuinely impressive ride

Korean car maker offers a convincing luxury alternative

Genesis: Hyundai has thrown everything it could at making the Genesis a genuine luxury contender - except a big price tag.

Road test ? Hyundai Genesis Sensory

Stars: 4

When you think luxury cars, the German brands ? Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi - are usually the first suspects that come to mind.

But the Teutonic trio are constantly being challenged by up-start brands trying to cash in on the endless popularity for prestige cars, and hoping any success rubs off on their mainstream models. The most successful challenger is Toyota's Lexus division, but there is also Nissan's Infiniti brand and then a raft of large car contenders such as Holden's long-wheelbase Caprice and Skoda's Superb.

And now there is another ? from an unlikely source ? in Hyundai's Genesis, the Korean car maker's latest move to divorce itself from its cheap and cheerful roots.

WHAT DO YOU GET?

Hyundai has thrown everything it could at making the Genesis a genuine luxury contender - except a big price tag.

The three-tiered range starts at $60,000 for the entry-level model with an $11k jump to the Sensory Pack we're testing here and a similar premium for the range-topping Ultimate Pack.

All three variants share a long list of standard equipment, with the base-model riding on 18-inch alloy wheels and featuring a leather-appointed interior with heated and power adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, hands-free boot, a powered rear blind and a 9.2-inch multi function screen with integrated sat nav, a reverse camera and a 17-speaker audio system.

They also have an extensive safety package that has resulted in the Genesis scoring the highest ever ANCAP crash-test rating thanks to its combination of nine airbags and the standard fitment of radar cruise control, lane departure warning and autonomous city braking.

The Sensory Pack brings even more safety gear, such as blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, lane change assist, a 360-degree camera and head-up display. It also brings a premium leather trim, LED headlights and a sensor in the air conditioning that restricts carbon dioxide build up.

The Ultimate Pack builds on the Sensory's equipment with the addition of a 19-inch alloys, a panoramic sunroof, ventilation for the front seats and heating for rear passengers, double-glazed windows and rear window blinds.

If the value isn't convincing enough, the Genesis is covered by a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty and Hyundai will cover the first five years of servicing (or 75,000km). There is also a guaranteed buy-back incentive for customers who finance the purchase through Hyundai.

WHAT'S INSIDE?

While Hyundai is proud to leave its H badge on the boot lid, there is nothing inside the cockpit that identifies it as anything other than a Genesis.

Firstly, its winged badge (which looks rather similar to the likes of Aston Martin, Bentley and even Chrysler) is front and centre in the middle of the steering wheel but it also comes up in the head-up display and centre screen when the vehicle is started. It is even projected onto the footpath at night from the door mirrors when you unlock the car. Clearly it's not your average Hyundai.

From there, the myriad of toys in the dash are controlled by a vast array of buttons ? rather than a central controller like the latest from Europe ? which makes it look and feel a generation behind. Similarly, the functions in the touchscreen aren't as intuitive as some others, and it takes a fair reach from the driver's seat to access it.

Otherwise, the Genesis' well-appointed cabin has a conservative but genuinely luxurious ambience about it with comfortable seats, generous space ? particularly in the back - and plenty of useful storage options.

UNDER THE BONNET

As the Genesis is built primarily for the United States, Hyundai has only developed a pair of large, naturally aspirated engines for its luxury entrant. That means it hasn't followed the fuel-saving trend of small capacity, turbo charged petrol and diesel powerplants, instead offering Australian customers a naturally-aspirated 3.8-litre V6 that drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic. A range-topping 5.0-litre V8 is available in US but isn't on the cards for right-hand drive models just yet.

Even still, the V6 is a fairly modern unit that produces 232kW and 397Nm ? which are fairly respectable numbers in isolation ? and generated high in the rev range, at 6000rpm and 5000rpm respectively.

While that suggests the engine needs plenty of revs, Hyundai claims that 90 percent of its pulling power is on tap between 2000-6000rpm and the reality is that it effortlessly gets off the line and, in concert with its well-spaced eight gear ratios, is happy to lope along at low engine speeds.

Under those conditions, it is also fairly refined and quiet and its raspy exhaust note only makes its presence heard under heavy acceleration from the middle of the rev range onwards.

While Hyundai claims the Genesis has a combined fuel consumption of 11.2L/100km ? which is well above modern European rivals ? it seems to have over estimated its economy as we recorded an average of 9.5L/100km on a mixture of city and freeway driving. Another plus is, despite its high compression ratio and direct injection cylinder heads, the engine has been calibrated to use more affordable standard unleaded fuel.

ON THE ROAD

As it has done with all of its recent models, Hyundai Australia has tuned the Genesis' suspension specifically for local conditions. And considering its position as a luxury alternative, it spent significantly more time and money than any other model in fine-tuning its balance for optimum levels of comfort and refinement.

For the most part, it has succeeded in creating a genuinely impressive ride, with the Genesis offering a fairly cosseting experience over a wide variety of driving conditions. Where it struggles to match the Europeans is controlling its mass through the bends, where, even though the overall dynamics are well balanced, it has noticeably more body roll and the front end will push wide under hard cornering.

On the plus side, it is exceptionally quiet at cruising speeds with little in the way of wind noise, and only the coarsest tarmac roads generate any semblance of tyre noise.

The eight-speed transmission, designed in-house by Hyundai, also shifts smoothly and the steering is well weighted, giving the Genesis an all-round impressive driving experience.

VERDICT

If you didn't know the Genesis was a Hyundai, it would be easy to mistake it for something from a more prestigious brand. Not only does it drive respectably well ? even among its rivals ? its value equation cannot be ignored, as it is a lot of car for the money that's loaded with gear, has top marks for safety and benchmark ownership incentives. While it is unlikely to lure brand loyalists away from the German triumvirate, it is the most convincing non-European luxury alternative.